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Whitehorse’s new rainbow crosswalk damaged

Whitehorse RCMP have opened a file after the city’s new rainbow crosswalk was damaged.
rainbowskid

Whitehorse RCMP have opened a file after the city’s new rainbow crosswalk was damaged.

The crosswalk, designed to show support for the LGBTQ community, was only painted in the downtown core last week. Now it has black rubber tire marks streaking across it.

Police aren’t saying much right now except to ask anyone who witnessed the damage to come forward.

According to a post circulating on Facebook, a truck was spotted deliberately spinning its wheels to create the marks on the afternoon of June 12, allegedly circling around the block to come back and do more damage.

The discovery has Whitehorse Mayor Dan Curtis fuming.

It is a sign that a small portion of the community that still needs to be educated, he said.

The rainbow crosswalk was painted deeper into the road making it more long lasting than some other street markings, the mayor said. Curtis said the black marks will be gone long before the rainbow disappears.

“Someone can drive over there and leave as many black marks as they want,” he said. “It’s still going to be there.”

If they’re not cleared away soon “I’ll get a brush and take it off myself,” he said.

Queer Yukon member Stephanie Hammond, who helped organize Whitehorse’s Pride Parade this past weekend said she’s obviously unhappy that something like this has happened.

“I feel like that is absolutely an isolated minority view in the community. It’s been my experience through these five years of Pride that the overwhelming view amongst the community is one of love and support,” she said.

“We’re a resilient community and we can clean up crosswalks, persevere and continue to spread those messages of love and acceptance.”

Contact Ashley Joannou at ashleyj@yukon-news.com